North Korea (DPRK) fired an unidentified projectile towards the Sea of Japan, presumably a ballistic missile. This was reported on Wednesday, January 5, by the Yonghap news agency, citing the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea (JCS).
It is noted that this action by Pyongyang may weaken Seoul’s desire to resume dialogue on the denuclearization of the peninsula.
The Japanese Coast Guard, in turn, warns ships in the specified area of the danger of falling debris.
It is noted that in Japan, against the background of information about a possible launch of a ballistic missile from the DPRK, the crisis headquarters of the Prime Minister’s Office was urgently convened.
This is North Korea’s first launch this year. The last one took place in October 2021. Then the DPRK confirmed the launch of a ballistic missile (SLBM) from a submarine towards the Sea of Japan. It was noted that Kim Jong-un did not take part in the tests.
Observers from North Korea said that a new small-sized SLBM was launched from the 2,000-ton submarine, capable of striking targets in the south of the Korean Peninsula or in Japan. Prior to this, the DPRK demonstrated a mini-SLBM at a defense exhibition in Pyongyang.
The DPRK missile test launch on October 19 was the eighth in 2021. The short-range ballistic missile covered 430-450 km, reaching a maximum altitude of 60 km.
In Japan, in turn, they announced that they plan to strengthen the country’s defensive capabilities, strongly condemning the launch of a ballistic missile by the DPRK. At the same time, the US military reported that there was no threat to the United States and its allies from missile launches.
On December 2, the head of the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin, announced that the United States was calling on North Korea to enter into dialogue, since the republic’s programs in the field of missiles and weapons were increasingly destabilizing regional security. At the same time, the head of the Pentagon added that the best way to achieve complete denuclearization of the peninsula is a diplomatic approach towards the DPRK.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
